As I flip through the radio channels on my way to a meeting, I can’t help but notice that four out of the nine presets are playing triumphant tunes celebrating the upcoming inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. As I drive onto the road connecting Delhi and Gurgaon, I am met with an overwhelming burst of saffron.
Illegal squatters who have taken over the pavements are now selling saffron flags, while larger-than-life posters of Ram dominate the streets. Street vendors eagerly offer smaller versions of the flag adorned with Ram’s image, and the atmosphere feels like a religious carnival rather than a regular business day.
I receive an enthusiastic WhatsApp message from an uncle in my housing society group, informing me that the cinema chain INOX and Aaj Tak TV channel have partnered to livestream the temple’s inauguration in 160 cinemas across India, with complimentary popcorn offered.
The news app on my phone informs me that the Chairman of the Bar Council of India has requested a holiday in the courts to acknowledge the cultural significance of the event, and I also read about flight attendants on an Indigo flight dressing up as Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman to greet passengers.
As an Indian Muslim, I find all of this bizarre. I believe the significance of a temple, or any place of worship, should be a matter of personal faith and not a political symbol of national pride in a secular country.
The cultural significance of the Ram Temple seems to be immersed in the polarisation we are currently navigating. The state’s allusion to religion seems to have buried the virtue of secularism, and never has my generation seen such a complete capitulation to religion.
The celebrations around the temple are a painful demonstration of majoritarianism and polarisation for India’s Muslims, as they remember the grief and loss of the Babri Mosque’s demolition and the riots that followed.
As I browse Twitter, I see a Muslim influencer appealing to Muslims to practice restraint and stay home to avoid provocation, but offensive messages and visuals continue to flood social media.
Despite media reports claiming that the majority of Muslims are “happy” about the temple’s construction, the reality is that many are living in fear of potential violence, with some even choosing to cancel their visits to India and others opting to leave their homes in Ayodhya.
For the Indian Muslim, peace seems to be the most precious commodity, clung to desperately in the face of pain and suffering. The winter has been long and intimidating.